Artist Spotlight – Mirka Andolfo Of Chaos

Mirka Andolfo has not been in the comic industry long, but she has already done work for Aspen, Dynamite, Top Cow and Zenescope… yes, she’s done the publishing A to Z… her work is opening the eyes of fans and editors across the board. We turn the spotlight on Mirka and find out a little more about her.

BLEEDING COOL: How did you get started drawing?

MIRKA ANDOLFO: As a hobby, I started when I was a child. As a pro, I was born a colorist: during the first two years of my career (in Italy), I illustrated a couple of covers and two issue of a comic book series, but I started drawing “seriously” and with continuity more or less one and an half years ago. “Chaos,” at Dynamite, is one of my first comics as artist, and I think it’s my first comic book drawn in a “realistic” way. Well, not so realistic, but more than usual for me…

BC: Who were your biggest influences?

MA: My favorite artists are, probably, Joe Madureira, J. Scott Campbell, Michael Turner, Nei Ruffino and the Italian master Alessandro Barbucci, who created, together with Barbara Canepa, some beautiful comics (especially Sky Doll). I don’t know who mainly influenced me, because I usually “somatize” an artist I love, and then it becomes part of me. Surely, as for colors, Barbara Canepa is the biggest influence I had.

BC: What is your process for doing a page? How long does it take you?

MA: First of all, I read the script and look for some references (old issues of the series, etc.). Then I usually start some layouts. At the beginning, my layouts were very, very rough, but now I’m working on more detailed layouts, because I realized that it helps me when I go penciling. I usually prefer working totally digitally, but sometimes I physically ink. Then I go from pencil to inking (when I don’t have an inker working with me).

Before working for American market, I was very, very slow: in Italy I work on “Sacro/Profano,” a series I wrote, drew and colored, and it usually takes one year for 46 pages!

Working at the US I have become faster, and sometimes I have great people inking or coloring my pages.

Sometimes (very rarely, thankfully) if I don’t have enough time, I have to ink directly on layouts, but I don’t like it.

Usually, if we are talking about American comic books, in one day I can finish an inked page, but it depends on the difficulty and on other jobs I have to do.

BC: Where might folks have seen your work previously?

MA: In America I started working as colorist at Image Comics (I colored “The Last of the Greats” by Joshua Fialkov and Brent Peeples), BOOM! Studios (I worked on colors at some stories of “Adventure Time”, “Ice Age”, “Bravest Warriors”, and, with my colleague Andrea Dotta, the series “Fanboys vs Zombies”). As a cover artist, I work at Aspen and Zenescope. Then, I started working at Dynamite (where I had the honor to illustrate “Chaos” written by Tim Seeley) and Aspen (Vince Hernandez writes a gorgeous series, called “Damsels in Excess,” which I illustrate).

Previously, I worked a lot in France and Italy: I colored, among others, some comic books of “Geronimo Stilton”, the graphic novel “The Kite Runner” (from the novel by Kaled Hosseini), and a lot of cover/interiors at Disney (especially Mickey Mouse).

Last but not least, folks can look at my creator owned series “Sacro/Profano” (I think it could be translated as Sacred/Profane): it’s published (partially) on Facebook, in Italy (as book) and France (in the magazine “Lanfeust Mag”, published by Soleil).

BC: What are you working on now?

MA: Right now I just started working on a short (and exciting!) story of “Vampirella”, at Dynamite. I’m absolutely excited: I’m working on a great character, and she’s also the perfect example of what I like drawing: sexy girls!

Then I’m finishing my job on “Damsels in Excess”, I’m still working at “Sacro/Profano”, and I will soon be working on some other projects as an artist here in Europe.

BC: What is your dream project?

MA: I would adore working as writer/artist/colorist with a creator-owned series for the American market, with a “cartoonish” style, but with a dark and gloomy story. Or also working on a “manga-style” series (I do love Japanese mangas). Or writing something else…

But, to be honest, I cannot really complain: I’m 25 years old and I’m working on famous characters for big publishing houses, with great people. What more could I ask for?